clark



G. H. CLARK.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-5,1914.

1 ,1 93., 1 Q9 Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

3 SHFETS-SHEET I.

v a 6 xx HIM! Em 1M W. J flaps K (M Y MM fi m I ,ffiw-ys G. H. CLARK.

AUTOMATIC TRMN STOPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 'JAN: 5, 1914.

1 1,1 93,129. Patented Aug. 1,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. H CLARK.

AUTQMAHC TRAIN STOPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.5.1914.

' Patented Aug. 1,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

GEORGE E. CLARK,

0F PARIS, MAINE.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-STOPPING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Application filed January 5, 1914. Serial No. 810,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Paris, in the county of Oxford and State of Maine, have invented new and useful Iniprovements in Automatic Train-Stopping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic train stopping devices, and more particularly to means for normallyholding the air brake system of a railroad train inactive and for automatically applying the brakes if and when the engineer attempts to pass a signal set against the train, or in stop position. I am aware that many devices have been proposed for this purpose, but so far as I am informed none has gone into general or successful use, although the need for such a device is fully recognized and the demand therefor has long been insistent.

It is the object of this invention to provide an automatic train stopping device which shall be simple, with a minimum of working parts, certain and efiicient in operation, and adapted for use under all practical conditions of railway signal practice.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a part of a railroad line embodying my improved system; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the equipment on the engine or other unit; Figs. 3 and 1 are sectional views of a control valve of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

1 is a casing mounted in any suitable manner upon the lower part of the engine, as shown in Fig. 1. Secured in said casing and projecting therefrom is an armature 2 having a movable member 3 provided with a stop 4, (see Fig. 3) normally held in elevated position by a spring 5. Extending laterally from said casing 1 is a valve casing 6 provided with a valve seat 7 for the valve 8, and having a port in front of said valve seat in which is secured an end of the train line pipe 9 and a port behind said valve seat in which is secured the pipe 10, in effect a continuation-of said train line pipe 9, and open to the atmosphere. Within said casing 1 is a horizontally disposed rod 11 having a socketed head 11, in which is slidably mounted the valve stem 12. A spring 13 surrounds said stem 12 and is normally held under compression between said head 11 and a stop l2 fast to said stem.

Pivotally secured to said casing 1 and connected, with said rod 11 by a slot and pin connection, is a latch let having a catch 14* which normally engages the stop 4: on the movable armature member 3 to lock said latch. When said latch 14 is in its normal locked position shown in Fig. 3, the spring 13 is compressed, and the valve 8 is held and looked upon its seat 7, closing the train line pipe 9.

Upon the end of the that carrying the head 11, is a plunger 15 adapted to reciprocate in a cylinder 16 formed in said casing 1. The said cylinder 16 has a small port 17 open to the atmosphere and an opening in its end in which is secured an end of the air reservoir pipe 18.

Referring now to Figs. 4: and 5; 19 is a frame located in the engine cab, in which is a valve casing 20 with which the train line plpe 9 and air reservoir pipe 18 communicate. In said valve casing isa control valve 21 having ports 22 and 22 disposed at right angles to each other and adapted to control the passage of air through said pipes 9 and 18. As shown in the drawings, the said valve 21 is in its normal position, the train line pipe 9 being open and the air reservoir pipe 18 closed. In said frame 19 there is rotatably mounted a threaded rod 23 having a wheel 24 for manually operating the same. To the projecting stem of said valve 21 there is secured a lever 25 connected by a link 26 with a nut 27 upon the rod 23. The rotation of said rod 23 causes the nut 27 to move along said rod, this movement being communicated to the valve stem by the link 26 and lever 25 to rotate the control valve 21 for the purpose presently to be described.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the pipe 10 communicates with a valve casing 28 provided with a valve 29 having ports 30, so that said pipe 10, which is in effect a continuation of the train line pipe 9, is always open to the atmosphere. The stem 31 of the valve 29 projects above the valve casing and has a pin and slot connection with a pivoted lever 32. This lever 32 is located in the path of movement of the usual reverse lever 33, which has a stud or projection an adapted to lift and hold the lever 33 and valve 29 when the reverse lever is moved along the quadrant 35 in the usual manner as the engine gains speed.

rod 11 opposite to The signal (Fig. 1) comprises a track magnet 36 located between the rails and ture, closing'the magnetic circuit as completely as possible; this movement unlocks latch 14 which swings upward, urgedby spring '13, moves rod .11 to the right as viewedin the drawings, and unlocks the valve 8 so that the pressure of air in the I train line pipe 9, lifts said valve from'its scat andrush'ingout through the pipe 10 sets the air brakes. V

Itwill' be readily understood that if the train is runningjslowly at the time it passes the stop signal, aservice applicationof the shortest possible distance.

the brakeswill be suiiicient quickly to bring the train to a standstill. If, upon the other hand, the train is running at high speed, there must be 'anemergency application of thefbrakes in order to'stop the train within It is to meet these conditionsthat the valve 29 and its operating lever 32 are provided. When the engine is running slowly the valve 29 is seated, as shown in Fig. 2, and the ports 30 therein are of proper size to govern the rush of air from the train line pipe 9 through the pipe lOto' effect a service application of the brakes. If, however, the train is running at speed, the reverse lever '33 will, according to the well known practice, have beendrawn back toward the center upon the quadrant 35, thusliftingthe lever 32 so that the valve 29 is lifted and held 0H its seat by the stud 7 emergency. application of the brakes is obtamed.

or projection 3 1. With the valve 29 ofi its 'seat, the rush of air from the train line pipe 9 through the pipe 10 is unobstructed and an To reset the apparatus, the threaded rod 23 (Figs. 4, 5), is rotated, causing. the nut 27 to move along said rod, this turning movement being communicated to the valve stem by the link' 26 and lever 25 to rotate the con trolvalve 21. The rotation of the control valve is continued until it has turned 90 from its normal position shown in Fig. 1,

7 thusclosing the train line pipe 9 and opening the air reservoirpipe 18, permitting air to be pumped through said .pipe into the cylinder 16 behind the plunger .15 (Fig. .3), causing said plungerto move to the left as ylewed in the drawings. As said plunger is thus moved in response to the air pressure,

, the rod 11 to which it issecured moves with it, compressing the spring 13 swinging the met 14 downward, and lockihg it with the movable armature member 3, thus resenting the valve 8 and restoring the apparatus to normal, inactive locked position. When the apparatus has been thus restored to normal position the rod 23 is again rotated in reverse direction and the valve restored to its normal position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so that the train line pipe 9 is opened and the air reservoir pipe 18, closed.

The port 17 of the cylinder 16 is smaller than the area of the air reservoir pipe 18 and permits the pressure in the cylinder to drop after the valve 21 is returned to normal position. It should be observed that said port 17 is large enough to prevent the air brake system from operating unless the valve 8 is closed, for its discharge capacity is greater than the pump capacity, so that it held open long enough it permits the pressure in the reservoir to drop.

It will, I believe, be apparent that an automatic train stop constructed in accordance with my inventionfis simple and without complicated mechanism likely to get out of order. All the moving parts are entirely covered and thus protected against dirt and water, yet they are susceptible of ready in spection. There is no electrical apparatus carried upon the train yet all the defects incident to purely mechanical train stops are eliminated. The track arrangements are simple, keep themselves clear of ice, snow or water, and have no moving parts to be tampered with or likely to get out of order. The train is readily and safely stopped by a service application of the brakes if the train is running slowly and by an emergency application if it is traveling at speed. Nhen thereason for the setting of the signal has been ascertained and the engineer receives his orders to'go on, he is enabled readily to reset the device without leaving the cab. It will be observedthat none of the valves in the above described apparatus require any. packing; except in the case of valve 8, tight 7 fitting is not requisite since leakage at other points does not materially aii'ect the operation.

I claim:

1. The combination with the brake system of a railroad train, of means carried by said train adapted normally to hold said brake system inactive, comprising an armature having a movable member, a spring for holding said movable member in normal position, a valve adapted normally to close the train line pipe, a seat and a stem for said valve, arod having a soeketed head in which said valve stem is slidably mounted, a spring normally held under compression surrounding said stem, a pivoted latch, a connection between said latch and said rod, said latch adapted normally to engage said movable member of said armature to lock said valve on its seat, a magnetic field adjacent to the track adapted when said armature enters said field to actuate said movable member to release said latch and unlock said valve, whereby said train line pipe is opened to apply the brakes.

2. The combination with the brake system of a railroad train, of means carried by said train adapted normally to hold said brake system inactive, comprising an armature having a movable member, a spring for holding said movable member in normal position, a valve adapted normally to close the train line pipe, a seat and a stem for said valve, a rod having a socketed head in which said valve stem is slidably mounted, a spring normally held under compression surrounding said stem, a pivoted latch, a connection between said latch and said rod, said latch adapted normally to engage said movable member of said armature to lock said valve on its seat, a magnetic field adjacent to the track adapted when said armature enters said field to actuate said movable member to release said latch and unlock said valve, whereby said train line pipe is opened to apply the brakes, and means carried by the train adapted to reset said brake-systemholding means in normal position.

3. The combination with the brake system of a railroad train, of means carried by said train adapted normally to hold said brake system inactive, comprising an armature having a movable member, a valve normally closing the train line pipe, a latch connected with said valve and engaging said movable member of said armature to lock said valve in closed position, a magnetic field adjacent to the track adapted to actuate said movable member of said armature when it enters said field to unlock said valve, open said train line pipe and apply the brakes, and manually controlled means carried by said train adapted to reset said brakesystem-holding means in normal position, comprising a cylinder with which the reservoir pipe connects, a port and a plunger in said cylinder, a connection between said plunger and said normally closed train line pipe valve and said latch, and means adapted to permit the air to enter said cylinder through said reservoir pipe whereby said plunger is moved, returning said valve to its seat and locking it thereon.

4. The combination with the brake system of a railroad train, of means carried by said train adapted normally to hold said brake system inactive, comprising an armature having a movable member, a valve normally closing the train line pipe, a latch connected with said valve and engaging said movable member of said armature to lock said valve in closed position, a magnetic field adjacent to the track adapted to actu- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ate said movable member of said armature when it enters said field to unlock said valve, open said train line pipe and apply the brakes, and manually controlled means carried by said train adapted to reset said brake system holding means in normal position, comprising a cylinder with which the reservoir pipe connects, a port and a plunger in said cylinder, a connection between said plunger and said normally closed train line pipe valve and said latch, means comprising a control valve and means to operate the same, adapted to permit the air to enter said cylinder through said reservoir pipe to move said plunger, whereby said valve is returned to its seat and locked in normal position by said latch.

5. The combination with a brake system of a railroad train, of means comprising an armature carried by said train adapted normally to hold said brake system inactive, and a magnetic field located adjacent to the track adapted to actuate said armature when it enters said magnetic field to open the train line pipe, a normally seated valve located in said pipe and having ports of sufficient size to permit a service application of the brakes when said train line pipe is opened, and means to lift and hold said valve off its seat to permit an emergency application of said brakes, comprising a movable reverse lever having a projection, a pivoted lever lying in the path of movement of said reverse lever and adapted to be lifted and held by said projection, and a valve stem connecting said pivoted lever and said valve.

6. The combination with a railway train brake system, of means carried by a vehicle of the train, comprising an armature normally interrupted by an air gap and having a movable part adapted to close said air gap, connections controlled by the said movable armature part to operate the brake system by opening the train pipe, a normally seated valve located in said train pipe and having ports of suflicient size to permit a service application of the brakes when said train line pipe is opened, and means to lift and hold said valve off its seat to permit an emergency application of said brakes, comprising a movable reverse lever having a projection, a pivoted lever lying in the path of movement of said reverse lever and adapted to be lifted and held by said projection, and a valve stem adapted to move said pivoted lever in said valve.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 80th day of December, 1913.

GEORGE H. CLARK.

Witnesses:

EDWARD F. MILLER, G. WRIGHT ARNOLD.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

